Illuminating device for a map simulator



May 30, 1961 B. M. MADIGAN 2,986,6Z6/ .WX 6 ILLUMINAT'ING DEVICE FOR AMAP SIMULATOR f t Filed June 25, 1959 l i dse 4 42 l 'FIG-"5 1N V ENTOR.

40 4| BASH. M. MADIGAN Il BY @www M F l G'- 4 ATTORNEY United StatesPatent O ILLUMINArnsG DEVICE non A MAP srMULAron Basil M. Madigan,Wadsworth, Ohio, assgnor to Goodyear Aircraft Corporation, Akron, Ohio,a corporation of Delaware Filed June 25, 1959, Ser. No. 822,855

Claims. (Cl. 240-1.3)

Itis an object of the invention to provide an illuminat- Y ing devicefor this purpose.

Other objects `are to provide a rotating light source in which the lightsource is substantially a point and the light emanating therefrom isshaded constantly in axial alignment and permitted to sweep radially anarea radially outward of the shaded area, to provide substantiallyuniform illumination over the light swept area, and to provide the sweepof light from a source relatively close to the relief surface.

Further objects are to provide accuracy of illumination, adjustabilityof marking of the light source for different elevations of traverse overthe relief surface, and simplicity of construction.

These and other objects will appear from the following description andthe accompanying drawings.

Of the drawings,

Fig. 1 s a plan view of a map illuminating device constructed inaccordance with and embodying the invention, portions being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a partial sectional view thereof taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the cone mask.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view thereof taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a plan View of the mask mount.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view, partially broken away and on areduced scale, of a relief map with the apparatus of the inventionmounted above the map.

Referring to the drawings, a carriage having a frame or housing 1 isprovided and preferably comprises a U- shaped frame member 2 ofinsulating material such as micarta, a molded ber reinforced resinoidmaterial, and a plate frame member 3, preferably of aluminum alloysecured to the legs of the U-shaped frame member 1 by screws 4'. TheU-shaped frame member has a central bore in its base for receiving anantifriction bearing 5 and the plate is bored in alignment therewith toreceive a similar bearing 6. A rotatable spindle is journalled in saidbearings and includes a member 7 of brass or other electricallyconductive metal which has a tubular sleeve portion 8 which extendsthrough and is journalled in bearing 6 and an enlarged cupped flange 9below plate 3. A second rotatable member 10 has a cylindrical tubularsleeve portion 11 extending through and` journalled in bearing 5 and anenlarged ange portion -12 above the Patented May 30, 1961 rice bearing.These rotatable members are of electrically conductive metal.

A tubular bushing 13 of insulating material is seated in the cupped ange9 of the upper rotatable member. A second tubular bushing 14 ofinsulating material has an annular recess in one face thereof to seatover the flange 12 of the lower rotatable member. A disc 15 ofelectrically conductive metal such as brass is mounted betweeninsulating bushings 13 and 1-4 and is cupped at opposite faces to engageover the adjacent ends of the bushings. The margin of the disc is wideenough to act as a collector ring and is exposed at the outer face ofthe insulating bushings.

Each of the rotatable metal members 7 and 10 are axially bored andthreaded as at 16 and 17 respectively to receive the threaded metalouter contact bases of a pair of miniature incandescent lamps 18 and`19. For providing a connection between the outer bases of the lamps,the rotatable members 7 and 10 and the intervening insulating bushings13 and 14 and disc 15 are drilled at a position spaced from and parallelto the axis of rotation to receive a conductive metal pin 20. The discl5 has a larger clearance hole therethrough and is insulated from thepin 20 by an insulating bushing 21. A brush 22 of spring metal ismounted on the frame 1 and contacts the ange 9 which acts as a collectorring.

A second brush 23 of spring metal is also mounted on the frame 1 andcontacts the disc 15. For connecting the central contacts of lamps 18,1'9 with the disc 15, an insulating sleeve 24 is axially slidable in thebore of bushing 13 and is inwardly anged at its upper end to retain ametal contact disc 25, preferably of silver. A coil spring 26 rests upondisc 15 and disc 25 and conducts the current. The bulb 18 has a centralcontact which engages the disc 25 under pressure when the lamp is inplace, compressing spring 26.

A similar insulating sleeve 27 is axially slidable in the bore ofbushing 14, carries a silver contact disc 28 and is supported from disc15 by a conductive coil spring 29. The bulb 19 has a central contactwhich engages disc 28 compressing conductive spring 29.

For rotating the spindle assembly including the two lamps, theirmountings and electrical connections, the flange of the rotatable member7 is formed with a conical drive surface 30. An electric motor 31 issecured to frame member 2 with its shaft extending through an opening 32in a side wall thereof. A bevel friction pinion 33 is mounted on themotor shaft 34 and is pressed axially against the conical surface 30 bya coil spring 35. The pinion is cross slotted to receive a drive pin 36and the spring 35 has a bearing against a collar 37 xed to the shaft 34.The arrangement is such that the pinion has axial movement and is heldincontact with the conical surface by the spring. The motor is preferablya low voltage D.C. motor.

The lamp 19 is preferably a G.E. 329 in which the light source isconcentrated at about one-sixteenth of an inch from its tip and when inposition in its socket it projects below the end of the sleeve portion11 of the rotatable member 10 by about one-eighth of an inch in order topermit radiation normal to the axis of rotation.

For directing radiation of light a mask-mounting cross bar 38 is securedto the sleeve portion 11. A conical mask 39 of sheet metal has itsconcave center bearing against the tip of lamp 19. The conical mask hasan included angle slightly less than and perferably of about 172 and 46so as to shield the horizontal rays from the lamp 19. Diametricallyopposite ears 40, 41 of the mask are secured to the ends of the crossbar. The mask, as seen in Fig. 3, is formed with at least one andpreferably a pair of diametrically opposite notches 42, 43 each of whichhas one margin which is radial of the mask and an opposite margin ofcurved form, the notch widening progressively in an outward direction ata rapidly increasing rate, the form of the notches being such as toprovide a sweep of light across a relief map with the sweeping beam oflight traveling from an initial radial distance from the intersection ofthe axis of rotation with the map determined by the dimension of an areaadjacent the axis in which no illumination is desired, to a greaterradial distance therefrom and at the same time providing a uniformdegree of illumination over the illuminated area so as to require thesame exposure photographically. The degree of illumination isproportional by the square law and reilection of light from theilluminated surface is controlled by Lamberts law. The shape and size ofthe mask is determined by the distance the lamp 19 is located above therelief map and different masks are provided for different elevations.Also while opposite slots may be provided in most of the masks, somemasks may have a single light distributing slot. As the lamp and maskare rotated about an axis normal to the relief map, the mask casts arotating shadow which sweeps radially outward.

For indicating the position of the illuminating device relative to therelief map, the lamp 18 is provided. It is enclosed by a collar 44 whichis secured about the sleeve 8 and is capped by a disc 45 of frostedglass. This provides an illuminated spot for locating the axis of thesweeping light source.

ln use the lamps 18 and 19 are lighted continuously. The illuminatingdevice 1 is moved horizontally over the relief map 50 at a desiredelevation. The spindle carrying the lamps 18 and 19 is rotatedconstantly and the mask in combination with the lamp 19 casts a sweepingillumination of the relief map while the position of the axis ofrotation is shown by the light 18. This permits a camera 53 locatedthereabove in line with the axis of rotation of the mask tosimultaneously photographically record the position of the center ofrotation while photographing the relief map as illuminated by thesweeping light.

While a certain repersentative embodiment and details have been shownfor the purpose of illustrating the invention, it will be apparent tothose skilled in this art that various changes and modifications may bemade therein without depatring from the spirit or scope of theinvention.

What is claimed is:

1. An illuminating device for a map simulator, said device comprising acarriage having a frame movable along and above a relief map, a spindlemounted in said frame for rotation with its axis normal to the reliefmap, a light source carried by said spindle at one end thereof, a maskmounted on said spindle in front of said light source and controllingillumination of said map from said light source, said mask having atleast one radial slot therein, said mask being rotatable by said spindleto provide a sweep of light over an area of said map, and a positionindicating illuminated means on the opposite end of said spindle forindicating the center of rotation of the spindle.

2. An illuminating device for a map simulator, said device comprising acarriage having a frame movable along and above a relief map, a spindlemounted in said frame for rotation with its axis normal to the reliefmap, a light source carried by said spindle at one end thereof, a maskmounted on said spindle in front of said light source and controllingillumination of said map from said light source, said mask being conicaland having a pair of diametrically opposed radial slots therein, saidmask being rotatable by said spindle to provide a pair of sweeps oflight over areas of said map, and a position indicating illuminatingmeans on the opposite end of said spindle for indicating the center ofrotation of the spindle.

3. An illuminating device for a map simulator, said device comprising acarriage having a frame movable along and above a relief map, a spindlemounted in said frame for rotation with its axis normal to the reliefmap, a light source carried by said spindle at one end thereof, a maskmounted on said spindle in front of said light source and controllingillumination of said map from said light source, said mask comprising aconical disc adjacent said light source and having at least one radialslot permitting radiation of a rotating beam of light, said slotextending radially of the mask and being progressively wider in adirection away from the center of the mask, and said mask beingrotatable by said spindle to provide a sweep of light over an area ofsaid map and illuminating means at the axis of said spindle at theopposite end thereof for simultaneously indicating the position of theaxis of the spindle in relation to said map.

4. An illuminating device for a map simulator, said device comprising acarriage having a frame movable along and above a relief map, a spindlemounted in said frame for rotation with its axis normal to the reliefmap, means on said carriage for rotating said spindle, light sourcescarried by said spindle at opposite ends thereof, and a mask having aradial slot therein nd mounted on the spindle in front of one of thelight sources for selectively shielding the map from said one of saidlight sources while sweeping an area of the map through the slot with arotating beam of light from said one light source, said light sourcescomprising miniature incandescent lamps and said carriage and spindlehaving brushes and collector rings for conducting an electric current tosaid light sources, the other of said lamps being shielded from said mapat all positions and indicating the axis of rotation of the spindle.

5. An illuminating device for a map simulator, said device comprising acarriage having a frame movable along and above a relief map, a spindlemounted in said frame for rotation about an axis normal to the reliefmap, said spindle including axially aligned lamp sockets at oppositeends thereof, incandescent lamps mounted in said sockets, connectionsfor said lamps through said spindle, brushes on said carriage engagingcollector rings on said spindle for connecting said lamps to a currentsource, an electric motor on said carriage for rotating said spindle,and a mask carried by said spindle for selectively shielding said mapfrom one of said lamps during rotation of said spindle, said maskcomprising a cone having an included angle of substantially 173 degreesand at least one radial slot extending through said cone from a positionnear its apex to its periphery and increasing progressively in widthoutwardly, the other of said lamps being shielded from said map at allpositions and indicating in an upward direction the axis of rotation ofsaid spindle.

References Cited in the ijle of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,114,714 Kalsey Apr. 19, 1938 2,153,186 Henderson Apr. 4, 19392,211,749 Habin Aug. 20, 1940 2,288,177 Bailey June 30, 1942 2,382,609Dale Aug. 14, 1945 2,721,256 Duhon Oct. 18, 1955

